How to Gain More Insight into Your Life

May 20, 2020 / 16 Comments

We spend a lot of our time coping with the world around us. Indeed, much of what we do is reactionary as we are simply responding to the external forces that impact us. However, while this is sometimes unavoidable, if you approach the world in reactionary mode for too long, you may quickly find yourself swept up in a whirlwind of a life that does not make you altogether happy. It is difficult to find our truest happiness when we allow the outside world to dictate our lives rather than creating the story we actually want. One of the best ways to shape the life that you want is to begin with as much insight into your own personal being as well as your current situation. But how can you do this? Let’s investigate a few helpful ways below.

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Mental Clarity

You may find it arduous to really investigate your true self and your life if you are lacking clarity of thought. So many of us drift through life in a kind of “brain fog” that we may not always be aware of. Our lack of self awareness can happen for a multitude of reasons. For example, if you spend too much time in front of a screen, if you are not getting adequate physical exercise, or if you have been consuming too much alcohol, you may find yourself unable to tap into your own self awareness. If you alter some of these habits for just a few weeks, you will start to notice more clarity seeping into your life and your level of insight.

Challenge Your Perceptions

We all possess thoughts, feelings, world views, and perceptions that are unique and personal to us. However, it is important to periodically challenge our views and perceptions. Our value systems are handed down to us from childhood and are heavily influenced by the communities in which we were fostered. But throughout our lives, we evolve and change and by investigating the perceptions that we gained from our experiences, we might discover that some of these ideas no longer work for our current lifestyles.

In fact, some of the ideals that we inherited from our environments can end up being more harmful than we thought. On the other hand, there are certain beliefs that will withstand the test when we investigate them more thoroughly. Those perceptions that remain true and good upon investigation are the ones that we should embrace. Sometimes it is too easy to simply accept what we were told when we were younger. But if an inner conflict arises, it may be time to reconsider your original belief system and make the necessary adaptions.

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Dig Deeper into Yourself

There is only so much you can learn about yourself if you limit your observations to your surface qualities. Sure, this can give you a snapshot of what other people may perceive about you, but it will not grant you the necessary insight for a deeper understanding about yourself. Only by digging into the more profound aspects of yourself, the ones you tend to keep hidden, will you be able to gain a deeper understanding of yourself.

There are multiple methods which are conducive to introspection such as meditation, hypnotherapy including past life regression, and even tarot card reading. All of these techniques can help you to understand yourself better. Meditation is straightforward and can be done easily anywhere by anyone. To try hypnotherapy and other related practices, you do need the help of a professional trained in those areas. You can search online for past life regression therapy near me or ask your doctor or counselor for recommendations. If tarot card readings interest you, you definitely need adequate knowledge about magician tarot card meaning as well as the meanings of other cards. A simple search online can provide this information or you can contact an experienced tarot card reader.

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Spend Time in Nature

Finally, spending time in nature is a great way to reconnect with yourself as well as with the earth. We tend to spend much of our time immersed in our communities, in city environments, surrounded by concrete and noise. Our normal environments all too often distract us so much that it is not always possible to even hear ourselves think. Nature can do that for you. The more time you can spend surrounded by nature, the better it is for your mental health and gaining insight. Something magical happens when you are able to silence all the noise from the world and refocus on the earth and what it provides for us. Time spent connected to the earth and the beautiful views that it provides us is time that will help us reconnect with ourselves as well.

Are you an insightful person? Do you need new ways to stay connected to yourself? What methods do you already employ?

Keeping it on the edge,

Shelbee

Linking up with these Fabulous Link Parties.

I am a midlife woman, wife, and stay-at-home mother of 2 boys and 2 cats. I have a passion for helping other women feel fabulous in the midst of this crazy, beautiful life.

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16 Comments

  • Martina

    May 20, 2020 at 8:34 am Reply

    Hello!
    A really exciting and interesting blog post. Your pictures are chosen perfectly. I get my relaxation from long hikes in the mountains. Just last Sunday I was walking 5 hours. It’s just so good for my soul and myself.
    XO Martina from Munich/Germany

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      May 20, 2020 at 11:47 am Reply

      Martina, thanks so much for reading! I have always loved spending time out in nature as well. It is where I tend to do some of my best thinking! It is so good for our souls to get connected with the earth. I hope you have a wonderful day!

      xoxo
      Shelbee

  • Michelle

    May 20, 2020 at 4:28 pm Reply

    Me? I’m like that annoying 2 year old who always wants to know why. But it is useful in self-exploration. I use it particularly in regard to emotions. “Why am I feeling this way?” I never accept a distressing emotion at face value. While there may be some validity in the face value of the emotion, it’s rare that there isn’t something more.

    When I finally have drilled down to the core emotion, I then ask myself if it’s a reasonable response to whatever triggered it. Sometimes the answer is yes, but just as often, the emotion is deemed unreasonable. And then that can lead to checking out my underlying beliefs. Sometimes I find these need recalibration.

    I would say that a lot of distressing emotions arise from an expectation that isn’t met. Then I have to ask myself, “is this expectation reasonable?” Usually the answer is no.

    Michelle
    https://mybijoulifeonline.com

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      May 20, 2020 at 4:35 pm Reply

      Michelle, I love the way your mind works! And I don’t think you need any help as far as insight and introspection. You pretty much have it mastered! I am the same way with managing expectations. All too often if I am disappointed it is only because my expectations were unreasonable. Thanks for sharing this!

      xoxo
      Shelbee

  • Patrick Weseman

    May 21, 2020 at 1:05 am Reply

    I think this is so very true. Also, I believe in going outside the bounds of yourself and society. Too many people want to live in the boxes that society has put ourselves in and we need to break those boxes. We always need to think outside the box.

    I love this quote when it comes to formal education: “I think everyone should go to college and get a degree and then spend six months as a bartender and six months as a cabdriver. Then they would really be educated.” -Al McGuire. We don’t think like that. I can’t tell you how many educators are just by the book and what they learned in teaching school in theory and stuff but can’t relate to humans.

    Need to stop off the soapbox.

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      May 21, 2020 at 10:56 am Reply

      Patrick, please don’t ever get off of your soapbox because what you have to say is important. And I agree whole heartedly that little boxes are not for everyone. My gosh, I have spent my life trying to break the little boxes! And the struggle will continue until the day we die, I’m afraid. But there are lots of people outside those boxes to connect with…we just have be patient until we find them all!

      xoxo
      Shelbee

  • Dee | Grammy's Grid

    May 25, 2020 at 2:23 pm Reply

    I wonder how old that big tree is? Hubby and I spent time out in nature yesterday. Now we’re talking about selling our place and buying a place out in the woods away from everyone! My choice would be to live on a beach in South Alabama but his job isn’t near the beach. Thanks so much for linking up with me at my #UnlimitedMonthlyLinkParty 12, open May 1 to 26. All party entries shared if social media buttons installed.

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